Eau Sauvage Dior / Christian Dior (1966) Eau de Toilette

Eau Sauvage (Eau de Toilette) by Dior / Christian Dior

Bottle Design: Pierre Dinand

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Eau Sauvage (Eau de Toilette) (Dior / Christian Dior)

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8.3 / 10 570 Ratings

Eau Sauvage (Eau de Toilette) is a popular perfume by Dior / Christian Dior for men and was released in 1966. The scent is citrusy-fresh. It is being marketed by LVMH.

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Perfumer

Edmond Roudnitska

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Basil, Bergamot, Fruity notes, Cumin, Rosemary, Lemon, Lavender
Heart Notes	Carnation, Orris root, Jasmine, Coriander, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood
Base Notes	Amber, Oakmoss, Musk, Vetiver

Ratings

Scent

8.3 (570 Ratings)

Longevity

6.4 (372 Ratings)

Sillage

6.0 (373 Ratings)

Bottle

7.9 (379 Ratings)

View Video of Eau Sauvage (Eau de Toilette) (YouTube)

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 03.03.2019

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Reviews

08/26/2018

7.0 5.0 5.0 6.0/10

SchatzSucher

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SchatzSucher

Greatly helpful Review 16

The scent really can't help it

that unfortunately I don't like it.

Oh dear, now I'm dealing you a popular fragrance classic...

I have owned Eau Sauvage for some time and have tried again and again to make friends with him.
But either I was too stubborn or the smell. We could not find each other despite many efforts.

Citric, fresh, green, a bit herbaceous, that's actually something for me. Especially now in the summertime such a combination makes itself very good.
But I failed at Eau Sauvage. Citric fragrances always give a cheerful and cheerful impression, sunny and positive But Eau Sauvage seems serious, strict, almost gloomy to me. What happened there?
I have to tell you that I only know the current version and I never met Eau Sauvage before.
I've read a lot about it and the fragrance seems to have been properly reformulated. In this case, you could even better say "deformed." as has already been beautifully said below.
That could explain some things.
I perceive lemon and bergamot at the beginning, with herbal and spicy accompaniments, but already then it doesn't seem cheerful and cheerful to me. The lemon has probably not been ripe yet and does not really work against the bitter herbs.
The flowery accents unfortunately do not lighten the severity, come out very dimmed and in the base the seriousness is accentuated again by a strong shot of oakmoss. Of cheerfulness unfortunately no trace.

As much as I like to acknowledge that it is a really well made fragrance, I don't feel comfortable with it at all. I have worn Eau Sauvage on different occasions and seasons but we do not fit together. He disturbed me again and again with his lack of happiness and then I gave it up.
Added to this are the not exactly outstanding durability and projection. I don't know if it was better in earlier versions. In any case, the scent quickly withdraws into itself.
Within one hour he will be very close and after another 3 hours is as good as finish.
This is also a pity for a fragrance that has the house Dior as its origin.
Many may see it now probably also completely differently and say "Nope, that's not true at all"
But these are my subjective impressions and feelings. Of course I can't judge the whole thing professionally.

He may have been rightly on the market since 1966 and still sell well, he has his loyal fans and that's a good thing. Fragrances can not please everyone and one may say also calmly times no.
I say no to Eau Sauvage and now he moves out with me again. I'm happy when I can make someone happy with him. Because to just let stand around in the closet it's really too bad.
And like I said, it's not my fault that I don't like the scent.

6 Replies

06/15/2018

10.0 6.0 7.0 7.0/10

Landlord

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Landlord

Greatly helpful Review 8

No invitation to the common birthday

It's funny that I'm only testing this classic from my birth year now. Perhaps I have so far made a wide arc around him, fearing that I might not like him. Because sooooo many 1966 fragrances are finally no longer available - and then also from the pen of master Roudnitska! How nice it would be to feel the need to add it to my collection for nostalgic reasons alone... hach...

But no, my dear "Eau Sauvage", unfortunately my nose does not feel like nostalgia in your case! Well, yes, a nice, lemony opening, underlaid with slightly powdery notes which initially could not be determined more closely... a little lavender and clovery... softening in the course of time, but after three hours already considerably diminishing and becoming very close until you say goodbye slightly sweetly after about five hours - and leave me somewhat perplexed whether the classic qualities that I am now not able to open up at all... Or have the reformulations so much deformed you and you have fallen victim to the severe restrictions on the use of oakmoss?

Be that as it may, you are a quite "tidy" fragrance, yes, and certainly in the context of time to pay homage to as the first Dior men's perfume that has apparently inspired many other fragrances. Goutal's "Eau du Sud" from `97 is immediately in my nose, but in my opinion it is more striking, more charming and surprisingly more durable - at least on my skin.

After all, the test of the "original" animated me to put the EdP from 2017, which is much praised here, on my watch list. From the EdC of the same name I advise to leave your fingers completely, unless you like synthetic-grassy Wühltisch quality.

Enough "thirsty" now, you dear Eau Sauvage fans. Keep enjoying your favorite, I would have loved to join your club... But at least the graphic advertising video for the 50th birthday (see above) is really cool and very nice to look at..

6 Replies

08/08/2015

10.0 5.0 7.5 10.0/10

Kouros94

Greatly helpful Review 4

Simple Perfection

Dior Eau Sauvage is the reason I am fascinated with perfumes. No other perfume has left me so transfixed by the beauty and simplicity of its composition. I did not know a thing about fragrance when I first smelt it, yet I knew this classy flacon contained something very special and that it had to be the first perfume I would ever buy.

What was so exceptional with this particular fragrance was the clarity of the composition, which instantly made perfect intellectual sense to my naive and inexperienced nose. All credit to Edmond Roudnitska. Since then it has become my gold standard of artistic execution. Whilst I have smelt many other fragrances since that epiphany and have begun an olfactory journey through the realm of perfumery, I never cease to be amazed by the effect the fragrance has on me. Illumination. Needless to say, it has become my signature fragrance and a part of me.

Next year, Dior’s Eau Sauvage celebrates its 50th anniversary of legendary status in the perfume industry, that is of course if Dior refrains from killing its brand with the cheap flankers that continue to hit the market (whilst the Parfum version form 2012 was a great success, 2015’s Eau Sauvage Cologne was a bland and uninspired citrus, which had nothing to do with the original).

It is rumoured that a new flanker: “Dior Sauvage” is to hit the market in September 2015 with Johnny Depp’s face for the marketing; I must admit that whilst I am sceptical of Dior’s new tactics of aggressive marketing of flankers, I am intrigued by the idea of Francois Demanchy signing a Parfum version (I’m guessing given the name “Sauvage”), which hopefully respects the spirit and character of Roudnitska’s original chypre.

Whatever the future of this fragrance, I will always cherish a bottle (or two) in my collection as a reminder of the beginning of a journey and the companion of this adventure which has lead me into unchartered territory I never thought I would explore.

Thank you Edmond Roudnitska.

04/23/2015

5.0 7.0 7.0 8.0/10

Avoirdupois

Greatly helpful Review 5

A very strong, heavy-duty fresh, citrus eau de cologne

Eau Sauvage is quite a powerhouse of an eau de cologne, coming on strong with a real lemony top that has a nippy sting in it. The impression is that it is something special... and indeed it is, as it develops into so much more.

A few minutes after application, Eau Sauvage becomes spicier, deeper, with a hint of wood and maybe a little fruit. Wonderful combination that carries on and on, through to the clean, aquatic, green, woody and mildly musky finish.

Yes, I like this one very much and could wear it day and night, but I'm too capricious to remain faithful, even to this outstanding fragrance. Both sillage and longevity are far above average.

May I add that I don't think this is the absolute tops in men's cologne; right now, I would put it in my top ten, perhaps around 6 or 7. It is distinctly masculine -- I do not envision its use by the ladies, young or old, other than by a vivacious, high-risk, adventurous female!

Eau Sauvage is a legend: it deserves to be. Long may it live and thrive.

08/24/2014

10.0 5.0 7.5 10.0/10

MasterLi

Greatly helpful Review 7

Elegance in Simplicity...

This is an example of something very basic and simple done to perfection. The concept of the classic, citrus "eau de cologne" has been taken here and has been refined, simplified and elevated to a timeless status.

Basically it is a lemony citrus type cologne, but done in a way which sets it apart from many others. Released in 1966 from Dior, it quickly achieved legendary status in France (thanks in part to use of Alain Delon, the iconic heartthrob of 60's French Cinema).

The perfume itself opens with a very simple lemon-citrus blast which stays mostly linear throughout the fragrance. It is coupled with soft lavender and a lingering indolic jasmine accord (hedione) in the dry-down.

This may sound simple, but it works in a way which makes you feel fresh, clean, sexy and also daringly adventurous at the same time. Perfect after a swim or a shower on a hot summer day, but also perfect with a crisp white shirt and business suit.

It is all of these things at once, and still has a place even today. Daring, crisp, elegant and refined, but also pleasingly inoffensive.

Timeless!

07/27/2014

10.0/10

JulianK

The best

Mens from 40. Incredible. Perhaps the best perfume in the world. The best perfume for mature man. Without hesitation.

1 Replies

05/28/2014

Platinum1

Very helpful Review 8

~ Dancing Dior ~

~ This is written from a newly discovered fresh perspective with no bias toward the legendary original formulation. Having Chanel Pour Monsieur as my vintage gentleman for so long I felt almost as if I had betrayed him by ordering Eau Sauvage but it was destiny to have this one as it was repeatedly recommended so often. This charismatic fellow opened brightly on my skin as I left for my daughters dance class the other evening. The obvious Lemon note turned both of our noses as we drove the five miles to our destiny. Fresh, clean and classy was what ES was projecting as we arrived fifteen minutes later at the studio. Then she said it as she always remarks "Daddy is that your new one? I like it....a lot!" As I sat crowded in the parents "Dance Mom's" waiting room with only the Dior and ladies gossip to entertain myself I detected the subtle wafts of herbs and faint florals dancing in the background all coming together in just the perfect amount of sillage for a crowded space. Already known light heartedly as the cologne Dad through the pirouettes and tap shoes the noses slowly started to detect my classy new companion....until eventually it came! My second compliment from a lovely lady within an hour....OK maybe the second wasn't quite so lovely but still her remark of "that one smells good Mr. B**!" was reassuring. All in all I am very pleased with my new purchase other than the obvious being by the time I got home eau sauvage was barely detectable on my skin! So the reviews were true longevity was definitely poor for me but the scent was "very" pleasant and classy....and perfect for this "cologne Dad"
Kind Regards, Plat~

Score ~ two compliments in one hour gets at least 9/10 for scent anytime! But longevity sorry, 6/10...but then that's what they make pocket size atomizers for ~

1 Replies

03/25/2013

10.0/10

Greysolon

Greatly helpful Review 12

A perfume for Wolfgang

“Mozart would have loved this perfume!”

Not only did that thought pop into my head the first time I wore Eau Sauvage, but the vision linking Mozart and Eau Sauvage in my imagination grows more vivid each time I wear the fragrance.

Purely by coincidence, as I began writing this review, Parfumo member FloraMilena made a similar observation in the forum game “Perfume for a Portrait.” The game is very simple: someone posts a portrait of a historic person and then another player matches a fragrance to the picture. When a portrait of Mozart was posted FloraMilena matched Eau Sauvage to his likeness and wrote, “Music flowed through him as effortlessly as water flows to the sea. The flawless structure. The celestial sound.”

I think the association between Mozart and Eau Sauvage comes from the intuitive feeling that they both share the musical rhetoric of 18th century classicism. Broadly speaking, it’s based on clarity of form and clear melody. Mozart managed those elements with such ease and fluency listeners are often seduced into believing his music is simple and innocent; nothing more than a graceful wave of a scented handkerchief. As you bask in the beauty and ease of Mozart’s music it’s easy to overlook the nuance and emotional depth of his work.

In a similar vein, there’s something about the major key sunniness that shines throughout Eau Sauvage making it easy to overlook the true depth of Edmond Roudnitska’s creation. When I smell the soprano lemon beginning to blend with the tenor of jasmine I would be content to live in that fragrant melody all day. But the longer Eau Sauvage stays on the skin the more all the spices and florals join the voicing to create a deep, warm, golden glow rather than remaining a shining lemon yellow. Subtle duets and trios of notes rise out of the texture creating lyrical ensembles. Further into the life of the fragrance, rosemary and sandalwood combine to create a just noticeable piny bass-baritone. And call me crazy, but a few hours into the scent there is an accord that borders on being leathery. All of this is accomplished with an elegance, clarity and virtuosity few other masculine fragrances can match.

Wearing Eau Sauvage the past few months has been an experience akin to reading a book deemed a classic and discovering for yourself why it is so highly regarded. I only wish I could have smelled this fragrance in all its glory when it was released in 1966.

P.S. As I was posting this I noticed that PBullFriend makes an allusion to Eau Sauvage and music (opera) in her review. There truly seems to be something musical about this fragrance.

10 Replies

07/14/2012

jtd

jtd

Very helpful Review 6

Diorfella

Have you noticed Eau Sauvage is like some sort of Ouija board? We make it spell out whatever we’re hoping to channel. Chypre, magic all-day cologne, fresh jasmine, woody citrus. I get a sparkling candied lemon and a cool sip of water at the start, but it winds up an interestingly woody floral, the wood stemming from petitgrain and rosemary, the floral from jasmine/hedione. I do see the through-line from ES to the shadier Diorella, but forgetting for a moment that ES preceded Diorella, ES is so squeaky clean as to seem like Diorella only after many years sober.

If hedione is the aromachemical that adds or enhances a watery, green jasmine feel, it certainly skips the indoles here. Where Diorella flirts with you in a languorous drawl, ES gives elocution lessons. You choose which suit your mood.

3 Replies

01/13/2012

5.0 5.0 5.0 8.0/10

DieNase

Greatly helpful Review 8

One for all!

Some parfumistas seem to associate Eau Sauvage with "old man", old school etc. Well I don't. Maybe because I'm a girl or because my Dad did not wear this scent (or any scent at all). I don't get this old man vibe at all. Doesn't seem more dated than A scent by Issey Miyake or Bigarade concengtrée.
Why these two scents? Well, let's start from the beginning.
How does Eau Sauvage smell at all?
Some people call it a pure citrus scent, I don't get that. Yes, there is lemon in the top notes, a beautiful lemon indeed. But that's just the beginning. It exhibits a slight skanky note. I would ascribe this to the hedione and some indolic jasmine. Hedione was first synthesized in the 60's - and I believe it occurs in natural jasmine as well. If my nose is to be trusted this stuff is to be found in Chanel Cristalle (especially the EdP) and in A Scent by Issey Miyake - in this last one far to much of it I think. Diorella, the female version of Eau Sauvage, doesn't convince me at all. Certain notes (white flowers and too much of the green stuff) are too strong for me. In its brother scent Eau Sauvage however, there is a magic balance: lemon with a very light flowery (rose!!!+jasmine)-green-skanky touch. When I say skanky in this context don't think of Miss Dior with its heavy civet note or even Jicky. Just a tiny little bit, which gives flesh to this EdT and makes it luscious, gives it a feel of something carnal and "not too clean". So, in a way this justifies "sauvage" = wild in the name.
A scent that inspires confidence (that's the daddy vibe?) but in a very erotic manner.

And now please don't beat me up for this comparison: I find this highly delicious combination in a similar form in Bigarade Concentrée! Bigarade Concentrée is more intense in the beginning, it is even more luscious, more rosy. The lemon is replaced by orange. No herbs there (well, on my skin Eau Sauvage doesn't get that herbal anyway). They definitely belong to the same family. Those who love Eau Sauvage should try Bigarade Concentrée and vice versa!

My conclusion:

Audience:
---------
Although this scent is marketed to guys (and called a gentleman or old daddy scent by some) I think this is very unisex. To me it is not any more masculine than diorella. It is extremely well blended, so delicious, luscious, soft, flowery, sensual... I don't find it conservative at all. It is NOT a macho macho scent.

Occasion
---------
All the time! Best in spring and summer. Extremely suitable as a signature scent, but also suitable for special occasions (especially sensual ones).

Sillage/longevity
-----------------
both medium. It seems to be more of a subtle skin scent. But will be notices in your proximity. Longevity is ok, but could be better.

Having to chose between Cristalle (EdT/EdP), Diorella and Eau Sauvage, which all belong to the same family (and maybe the Miyake), I will always clearly prefer Eau Sauvage. Actually Eau Sauvage is the only one I would even consider out of this bunch.

Between Eau Sauvage and Bigarade concentrée: Hmm, maybe Bigarade would win. But when taking into account the enormous difference in the price tag, Eau Sauvage is a winner. I will use ES more regularly especially in spring/summer while I'll keep my decant of Bigarade concentrée for more special occasions.

01/08/2012

10.0 9.0/10

PBullFriend

Greatly helpful Review 10

scent of a dream man

Oh, my. I had tried ES before and thought of it as a simple, lemony scent, not really worth considering. Then, today, I thought I'd use up the sample by wearing a spritz to yoga class. The hint of heat & sweat transformed it totally and, by the time class was over, I couldn't stop fantasizing about sniffing the neck of a handsome, distinguished gentleman while we both got ready to go to the opera, and enjoying the possibilities of what would happen after the opera. In other words, very manly and very civilized. I can only hope to find myself a man worthy of Eau Sauvage. (012810)

2 Replies